Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc logo

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Appleton, WI EIN: 39-1607175 Website
Community and economic developmentEconomic development

FOX CITIES CONVENTION & VISITORS is a public charity based in Appleton, Wisconsin. It promotes the Fox Cities as a convention and tourist destination and uses a portion of room tax revenue to support local visitor attractions, amenities, and experiences.

Key facts about Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc

In short: Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc gave $675K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $68K), mostly in Wisconsin. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.

EIN
39-1607175
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$675,374
Grants made (2025)
10
Average grant
$67,537
Median grant
$32,500
New grantees (estimate)
50% first-time grantees (5 of 10, 2025)
Total assets
$7,706,278
Primary geography
Wisconsin (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
How to apply
Applications are submitted online through forms for tourism development, wayfinding signage, on-site signage, one-time exhibits or new festival development, and kayak rental station grants. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing

Total Assets

$7.7M

+3.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$675K

-7.9% YoY

Grant Count

10

-16.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$68K

+10.5% YoY

Is Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc open to new grantees?

50%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 5 of 10 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $65K; repeat grants $70K. How we count

Medians: $40K first-time, $25K repeat.

  • 30% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 110% from 2022 to 2025. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The organization’s mission is to strengthen the Fox Cities by investing in and promoting the destination. Its grant program supports development or expansion of visitor attractions and amenities, including interactive experiences, high-impact traveling exhibitions, and certain signage. Projects must be likely to generate overnight hotel stays or enhance the visitor experience. The organization also offers a grant category for kayak rental stations.

Its 2025 grants included support for an art exhibit, a holiday light show, airline routes, a sculpture project, music-related tourism development, a Christmas market hut, a sports facility expansion, a kayak rental station, signage, and a museum exhibit. Among the grantees, Timber Rattlers Give Back Inc says its mission is to support charitable causes in the Fox Valley in education, youth sports, and basic needs. Appleton Community Music Inc says it works to expand original music events and connect the community through music. Future Neenah Inc describes itself as a civic development group supporting programs, projects, and events in Neenah. Neenah Historical Society Inc says it collects, preserves, and shares community history.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the organization awarded 10 grants totaling $675,374. Grant amounts ranged from $6,000 to $250,000, with a median of $32,500. Larger awards included $250,000 to Trout Museum of Art for exhibit costs, $210,000 to Timber Rattlers Give Back Inc for a holiday light show, $59,375 to Outagamie County for airline routes, and $52,500 to Sculpture Valley for a sculpture project.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The organization promotes the Fox Cities region, which it describes as comprising 19 communities. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Wisconsin.

Grant Distribution by State

1state

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.

States

Cities

AppletonMenashaNeenahKimberlyGrand ChuteHortonvilleKaukaunaLittle Chute

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$250K$500K$750K$1M4 grants2019 4 grants2020 14 grants2021 3 grants2022 4 grants2023 12 grants2024 10 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $219K (2020) to $821K (2021). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $675K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Trout Museum of Art: $250KTrout Museum of Art$250KTimber Rattlers Give Back Inc: $210KTimber Rattlers Give Back Inc$210KOutagamie County: $59KOutagamie County$59KSculpture Valley: $53KSculpture Valley$53KAppleton Community Music: $40KAppleton Community Music$40KFuture Neenah Inc: $25KFuture Neenah Inc$25KFox Cities Sports Development Cente: $16KFox Cities Sports DevelopmentCente$16KCity of Neenah: $10KCity of Neenah$10KFox Cities Chamber of Commerce: $7KFox Cities Chamber of Commerce$7KNeenah Historical Society Jane Lang: $6KNeenah Historical Society JaneLang$6K

The largest 2025 recipient was Trout Museum of Art ($250K). Together the top 10 received $675K.

Grant Size Distribution

43 grants across all recorded years

24<$50K6$50–100K10$100–250K3$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 24 grants of 43 (56%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Trout Museum of Art Appleton, WIExhibit Costs$250,000
Timber Rattlers Give Back Inc Appleton, WIHoliday Light Show$210,000
Outagamie County Appleton, WIAirline Routes$59,375
Sculpture Valley Appleton, WISculpture Project$52,500
Appleton Community Music Appleton, WITourism Develpoment$40,000
Future Neenah Inc Neenah, WIChirstmas Market Hut$25,000
Fox Cities Sports Development Cente Appleton, WICFCC Expansion$15,999
City of Neenah Neenah, WIKayak Rental Station$9,500
Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce Appleton, WISignage$7,000
Neenah Historical Society Jane Lang Neenah, WIExhibit$6,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $7,706,278 $2,814,326 $2,587,812 $675,374
2024 $7,444,919 $2,608,877 $2,585,963 $733,160
2023 $7,025,516 $2,360,059 $1,951,909 $371,615
Revenue
Expenses
Net Investment Income
$0$1M$2M$3M$4M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$7,706,278$7,444,919$7,025,516
Revenue$2,814,326$2,608,877$2,360,059
Expenses$2,587,812$2,585,963$1,951,909
Net Investment Income$174,089$137,624$105,602

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 20, 2025)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 28, 2026)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 26, 2021)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 6, 2022)
  6. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 11, 2023)
  7. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 24, 2024)

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Pam Seidl as executive director; Amanda Hedtke, Ryan Batley, Chef Jeff Igel, Randy Kliment, Beau Bernhoft, and Linda Garvey as directors; Abe Weber as past chair; Norb Karner as treasurer; and Jeff Sturgell as vice chair.

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc is led by Peter Rank, Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2022); 1 of 17 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Peter Rank

    Chair

    Director → Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2022

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Amanda Hedtke

    Director

    Chair → Past Chair, 2022

    Past Chair → Director, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Randy Kliment

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ryan Batley

    Director

    Chair → Past Chair, 2024

    Past Chair → Director, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Chef Jeff Igel

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Linda Garvey

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • David Kress

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ryan Moede

    Director

    On filings since 2023

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Maria Vanlaanen

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Richard Downey

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Kelly Nieforth

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Mark Kloehn

    Director

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Pam Seidl

    Executive Di

    On filings since 2019

    40 hrs/week

    $96K (2019) → $134K (2025)

  • Abe Weber

    Past Chair

    Treasurer → Chair, 2024

    Chair → Past Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Norb Karner

    Treasurer

    Director → Treasurer, 2024

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Beau Bernhoft

    Direcotr

    Director → Secretary, 2024

    Secretary → Direcotr, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jeff Sturgell

    Vice Chair

    Director → Vice Chair, 2025

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (14)
  • Former: Chris Haese (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Chuck Gifford (2019–2024) — Director
  • Former: Karen Harkness (2019–2023) — Director
  • Former: Matt Carpenter (2019–2023) — Secretary
  • Former: Jim March (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Jane Lang (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Deb Johnson (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Dana Reader (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: James Fenlon (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Dale Younquist (2020) — Treasurer
  • Former: Peter Gianopoulos (2020) — Director
  • Former: Zach Zinsli (2020) — Director
  • Former: Jan Smith (2019) — Director
  • Former: John Burgland (2019) — Treasurer

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Pam Seidl — Executive Di: $134KPam SeidlExecutive Di$134K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $134K, to Pam Seidl (Executive Di).

Contact

Mailing address: 213 S Nicolet Rd, Appleton, WI 54914
Phone: (920) 734-3358
Website: https://foxcities.org

Frequently asked questions about Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc

How much does Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc give each year?

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc gave $675K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $733K across 12 grants.

What is Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's typical grant size?

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's median grant in 2025 was $32,500, and its average grant was $67,537, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc that year got $65K on average.

Where does Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc give grants?

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Appleton, WI (7 grants) and Neenah, WI (3 grants).

Does Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.

Who are Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's largest grantees?

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Trout Museum of Art ($250,000), Timber Rattlers Give Back Inc ($210,000) and Outagamie County ($59,375), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc?

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc reported $7.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.8M.

What does Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc fund?

The organization’s mission is to strengthen the Fox Cities by investing in and promoting the destination. Its grant program supports development or expansion of visitor attractions and amenities, including interactive experiences, high-impact traveling exhibitions, and certain signage. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc?

Applications are submitted online through forms for tourism development, wayfinding signage, on-site signage, one-time exhibits or new festival development, and kayak rental station grants. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's EIN?

Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1607175. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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